5.29.2013

The crime scene in the original version of the game. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

by Tabetha
Cooper

Murders
happen all over the world in all forms; your regular single murders, mass
murders, spree murders, and of course serial murders. In the United States, serial murder has been
captivating the mind of citizens for a long time with all the movies and
television programs focusing on this issue.
It is important to remember though that much of what can be seen on
television isn’t completely accurate.
Through an understanding of the global perspectives on serial murder and
the investigative approach and tools used the most in these cases, a person can
better identify what impact serial murders have on the media in the United
States versus other countries.

As Hickey (n.d.) points out, serial murder from a global
perspective brings out some points that need to be addressed. First is the definition of serial murder and
how others see this phenomenon. For
example in the U.S. the FBI defines serial murder as a series of three or more
murders over a period of time with a cooling off period in between each
murder. In addition most serial
offenders in the U.S. are thought to be lust killers and each murder tends to share
common characteristics (Federal Bureau of Investigations, 2005). On the other hand other countries have noted
that most serial murderers do not classify as lust murders and that there are
not always similarities in the murders (Hickey, n.d.). Not every culture exploits serial murder as
we do in the U.S. The second thing to
remember is that the differences in cultures between countries provide
different motives for serial murders as well as different means to carry out
the murders. For example guns are a big
weapon of choice in the United States but many other countries the weapon of
choices tends to be a knife, as can be shown with the case of Jack the Ripper
in England (Hickey, n.d.). The last
point to keep in mind is that largely due to the other two differences, the
profiles given to serial murderers in the U.S. are far different from the
profiles given by law enforcement personnel of other countries. The ability to access important data may also
play a role in the different profiles of serial murderers between other
countries and the U.S.

Since the popular television show Criminal Minds, when
the average American thinks of approaches to catching a killer, profiling pops
in their mind. There are several types
of profiling including: criminal profiling, victim profiling, and geographical
profiling. Profiling is just one tool
used in the interdisciplinary approach. This
approach explores criminal behavior through the sciences of psychology,
biology, and behavioral analysis (Hickey, n.d).
In other words the interdisciplinary approach utilizes forensic
sciences. Spatial mapping is another
tool used in this approach. Crimes
committed within an area can be recorded to a map and through analysis of this
information it is possible to figure out when and where the next crime in a
series will be committed. Computers aid
a lot in the interdisciplinary approach, where data can be stored and retrieved
quickly.

In recent years there have been steps taken to fill in
the gap between countries when it comes to crime. The inability to access data concerning
serial murders that travel internationally, data bases are being created for
easier access to information. One data
base used by other countries is the Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System or
VICLAS. This data base originated in
Canada and is used in the United States, Canada, and Germany (Hickey,
n.d.). The International Crime Police
Organization, better known as Interpol, was created in 1923 to also aid
countries in sharing criminal information.
It was designed to help aid different organizations and law enforcement
agencies in an effort to catch criminals that cross boarders and to prevent
further crimes from being committed.
Since its start in 1923, 188 countries have become members of Interpol
(www.interpol.int).

With
the vast differences throughout the world when it comes to serial murder, it
has to be asked: What role does the media play in the world of serial
murder? Many countries do not report
serial murder in the news nor display such an interest in it through movies and
television programs. There have been
countries in which suspected serial murderers were not publicized. This has its benefits and downfalls! If the public is not notified of a serial
murderer running the streets then they have no idea to keep themselves
safe. If a killer is attacking women
between the ages of thirty and fifty in dark allies only in the night, then
those women don’t know to keep themselves out of that area during the dark
hours of the day. Although a benefit of
not publicizing a serial murderer is not getting the entire town in an uproar. Sometimes serial killers, such as the BTK
killer (Dennis Radar), use media to contact the police. Those who receive these types of messages
need to take care with what is done with them.
The police should be notified before the message is publicized
(www.fbi.com).

In
the United States the media such as news papers report on the murder. Depending on the information that they
reporter gets their hands on, this can let the killer know what the police
know. This can cause the killer to
change his modus operandi, is selection of victims, or even cause him to go
into a cooling down period until the heat is off him. If he relocates it takes the problem out of
the place it originated but causes it to start somewhere else, which may go
undetected for a period of time before the crimes can be linked as serial. When so many people become privy to important
information pertaining to a serial murder case it also opens a door for copy
cat killers to use the same motives.
This can throw law enforcement personnel off the track of the actual
killer. When media puts such a great
emphasis on the murderer it also takes light away from the victim (www.fbi.com). Victims become forgotten easily, causing yet
another injustice to both them and their families. Also with the fascination
and glamorization television shows and movies give serial killers it
desensitizes the incidences. Women become
fans and the killers begin to become idols to some.

No
matter the country or the definition of serial murder, a killer reeking havoc
can be detrimental to everyone. Some
countries allow the media to cash in on the tragedies that seem to captivate
the minds of many. This can be good, but
it can also be very bad. In the United
States, our Constitution guarantees us freedom of press and freedom of speech,
so we can count on many more shows, movies, and news reports regarding serial
murder.

Share This

Our Project

Pageviews

Follow by Email

C&J Charity Donations

Everyone is a victim of bullying and police misconduct whether directly or indirectly!

Criminology & Justice Digital Media U.S. Inc is dedicated to providing educational, scientific, and charitable contributions in the social science and criminal justice fields, to include victim and family issues, research, and criminal justice related charities, through digital media, presentations, charity drives, and scientific research funding.

Lawrence Daly New Novel

Available in Paperback and Kindle

Now Available!

In the small town of Kent, just south of Seattle in Washington State there is a child serial rapist and murderer who has targeted young girls. Over an eight-year period, Victor has abducted, raped and murdered 12 young girls. Detectives Simon Stocker and Gus Hall begin the chase of Victor. Just when he appears to have disappeared, he abducts 12 year-old Brittany Redman and the chase is on again.

With the assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other law enforcement agencies, a task force is established to chase Victor down. Victor’s method of operandi is to abduct his victims and then they are found 72 hours later, dead.

The time to save Brittany is running out, Detectives Stocker, and Hall pull out all the stops to save her life. Will they be in time?

About Lawrence W. Daly

Lawrence W. Daly is the author of multiple sex crime non-fiction books and booklets. Lawrence is one of the leading experts in the field of child sexual abuse investigations. Chasing Victor is his newest adventure. This debut novel, an exciting thriller will keep you on your toes, wondering who Victor might be, and whether Detectives Stocker and Hall will succeed in chasing Victor down. A must read!

Paperback Edition

Kindle Edition

Get Your Copy Here Today! A Great Read Which Keeps You Enthralled the Entire Story!

Links 2

Quotes

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. ~ Edmund Burke

That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our power to do has increased. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

An informed citizenry is the only true repository of the public will. ~ Thomas Jefferson

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do. ~Steve Jobs US computer engineer & industrialist (1955 - 2011 )